It’s all about getting time together, and mamas, let me tell you, as your children grow up, time together can be hard to come by.

Today’s Mother’s Day. We send flowers and make phone calls. Gift cards, perfume and everything from workout gear to nightgowns are sold as a way to honor our mamas.

And, as a mama, I can’t say that I’m against that. Heck, I think Mother’s Day should be at least once a quarter, but that’s just me.

Some people say that Mother’s Day was invented by Hallmark to sell cards, and I think these are the same folks who hate on Valentine’s Day as a card-selling day. Go eat some hater tots and drink some hater-ade, haters.

According to History.com, Mother’s Day was founded by Anna Jarvis, whose mother, Anne Reeves Jarvis, organized Mothers Friendship Day in 1868, gathering Union and Confederate troops together with mothers for the purpose of reconciliation.

After Anne Reeves Jarvis died in 1905, Anna Jarvis sought to honor her mother and other moms, and by 1908, the first Mother’s Day was observed. On the heels of that success, she lobbied away until, in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill making the second Sunday in May Mother’s Day.

Anna Jarvis, who remained single and childless throughout her life, argued that the other holidays celebrated male achievements. Remember, she was making these arguments to lawmakers at a time when women couldn’t vote, which makes this holiday a little on the remarkable side.

Anna had her way, and before long, florists, cardmakers and department stores were riding the Mother’s Day bandwagon. Now, some $671 million will be spent this year on Mother’s Day cards, and about $1.9 billion will be spent on flowers, statisticians say.

Then there were these stats: According to the website StatisticBrain.com, 94 percent of dads think small gestures are more important than buying stuff for Mother’s Day, and 84 percent of dads say Mother’s Day is perfect for creating “unforgettable experiences.”

Before you decide that 94 percent of dads are also tightwads, small gestures can be ... well, pretty big.

Put a little thought into Mother’s Day. Photos of the family will be treasured, and a heartfelt handmade breakfast in bed from your kids trumps pretty much anything. Just clean up the kitchen afterward.

Personally, I like having lunch with my sweet babies. It’s what we do. We’ve also gone to Mother’s Day movie matinees and grilled out in the evening.

It’s all about getting time together, and mamas, let me tell you, as your children grow up, time together can be hard to come by. I know it doesn’t seem that way when you can’t even get a minute in the bathroom without your children banging on the door, but trust me on this. Childhood goes by fast.

I think the statistics tell a different story. If you subtract the 84 percent of dads who want to create “unforgettable experiences” from the 94 percent who want to make small gestures, then you come out with only 10 percent being cheapskates.

Cheap dads, you know who you are. There’s still time. The malls are open. Do what you ought to.

Annie Oeth, author of “Because I Said So: Life in The Mom Zone,” writes about families and fun for The Clarion-Ledger. Like her page on Facebook, follow her on Twitter at @Annie0 and email her at aoeth@gannett.com.